Eight activists of Ranvir Sena, the banned private army of the landed upper-caste, were arrested in Jehanabad district on Saturday morning. The police recovered huge caches of arms and ammunition from their possession.

Police officials said the activists were arrested in Sendva, Jehanabad district during the ongoing combing operations, started after the November 13 Maoist attacks.

They were arrested after police raided a village on a tip-off that the Ranvir Sena were planning to attack their rivals, the Maoists. Two of the Sena's leaders were killed in the Maoist attack on Jehanabad jail.

In Jehanabad, over 200 people have been killed due to violence between the backward castes, backed by the Maoists, and upper castes under the banner of the Ranvir Sena.